Stevens Performs First Post-STC KA350 Autoland Install

At Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems technicians have accomplished the first and second post-supplemental type certificate (STC) installations of Garmin’s Autoland system on Beechcraft King Air 350s at its Smyrna, Tennessee (KMQY) facility. The installation includes autothrottles and is available on King Airs equipped with the Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck.

Autoland will automatically select a suitable airport and communicate with ATC while configuring the airplane to land, touching down, applying brakes, and shutting off the engines. Autoland is only available for emergency situations and will activate if it detects an unresponsive pilot; anyone on board can also activate the system by pushing a button.

The autothrottles manage speed and power from takeoff to touchdown, protecting against engine exceedances. Additional assistance is available via automatic autothrottle engagement during under- and overspeed scenarios or engine-out situations.

The installation at Stevens Aerospace was done on King Air 350s with stock Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A engines and four-blade propellers. Garmin will be offering Autoland upgrades with other engine and propeller configurations.

“There has been an extremely high level of interest in this safety modification over the last several months, with many owners waiting in line for the STC completion,” said Gary Brown, technical sales at Stevens KMQY. “This modification now makes the plane even safer, more efficient, and now gives…more peace of mind.”